Radiator air-valve.



A. OBRIBN.

RADIATOR AIR VALVE.

APPLIOATION FILED .mm1 14, 1909.

992,039. Patented May 9,1911.

11T-f EEE 1L ETT-m D@ UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR OBRIEN, OF BUTTE, MONTANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 ALF C. KREMERAND WILLIAM M. KIRKPATRICK, BOTH 0F BUTTE, MONTANA.

RADIATOR AIR-VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1911.

Application filed June 14, 1909. Serial N0. 501,954.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR OBRIEN, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of the city of Butte, in the county of Silverbow and State ofMontana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in RadiatorAir-Valves; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

Many different types of air valves have been placed upon the market inthe endeavor to permit the escape of air from the radiatorautomatically. While some of these permit the escape of air to agreater' or less extent, the danger of the discharge of the water ofcondensation therethrough is great and with most of the devices intendedfor the purpose, it is a frequent occurrence, causing injury to carpets,floors and ceilings, owing to the drip of water therefrom. In many suchconstructions bells or floats are provided, which may, when the deviceis in perfect operation, serve to close the vent under pressure fromwater but which frequently become out of order through wear or held fromoperation by small accumulations of sediment or scale with the resultbefore mentioned.

The object of this invention is to afford a valve for the purposespecified adapted to operate through (and wholly through) thecontraction and expansion of metals so that with the fall of temperaturein the radiator below a certain point the air valve will openautomatically and will remain open until expanded by the rise oftemperature in the radiator with the return of steam pressure, in thisway insuring a free vent for the air from the radiator with very slightpressure holding the valve closed from inflowing air and actingautomatie cally, when warm to wholly close the valve against whatsoeverpressure.

It is also an object of the invention to afford a valve of the classdescribed which positively seats through atmospheric pressure andremains seated under all conditions even independent of its expansionuntil raised by positive pressure from the radiator.

It is further an obj ect of this invention to provide a valve in whichthe water of condensation automatically returns from the the stem andinto the radiator.

valve into the radiator and in which the water can under no circumstancebe discharged outside of the valve upon the floor or carpet.

It is also an object of the invention to afford a construction affordingthe utmost ease and precision of adjustment, permitting the valve to beset to close at practically any desired temperature.

The invention embraces many novel features and consists in the mattershereinafter described and more fully pointed out and defined in theappended claims.

In the drawings: Figure l is a side elevation partly in section of aradiator equipped with an air valve embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is anenlarged Vertical section of the air valve and a part of the radiator.Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section taken on line 8 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. l is asection on line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a section similar to Fig. 2,but illustrating a slightly modified construction. Fig. 6 is a top planView of the air valve, with parts omitted.

As shown in the drawings: l, indicates the radiator provided with a ventaperture as is usual, in which is threaded the stem 2, of the air valve,and which, as shown, is constructed of cast metal or any suitablematerial. Said stem extends horizontally from the radiator section, asshown in Figs. l and 2, and extends inwardly into the radiator coil, theinner end thereof being arranged obliquely downward and outwardly, asshown in Fig. 2. Integrally connected with said stem is the upwardlyextending tubular barrel or shell 3, internally threaded near its upperend, preferably, the pitch of the thread being such as to afford a largenumber to the inch (even as high as twenty five threads to the inch) forprecision of adjustment. In the bottom of said barrel or shell, as shownin Figs. 2 and 3, is a rounded or spherical convex boss 5, through whichextends an aperture communicating with a passage 6, extendinglongitudinally Below said passage, as shown, is a corresponding passageparallel therewith, and as shown, said passages communicate at the outerend of the stem in a chamber S, in which is threaded a screw 9, whichacts to regulate the size of said chamber thereby enabling the vent tobe effected wholly through the upper passage 6, or partly through bothpassages, and which admits of regulating the amount of vent permit-tedthrough the lower passage.

' Threaded in the top of the barrel or shell is a sleeve 10, whichextends to near the botto1n of said barrel as shown in Figs. 2 and 5,and which is of much smaller diameter than the interior diameter` ofsaid barrel. At its upper end said sleeve is connected inan integralhead 11, threaded complementally with the threads in said barrel andprovided with a central vent aperture 12, the bottom of said sleeveterminating in the upper end thereof in a boss 14, corresponding withthe boss 5, before described and through the center of which theborer12, opens. Loosely held in said sleeve 10, is an expansion rod 15,the ends of which are concave with a smaller radius than the curvatureof the boss 5, or 14, so that said rod seats on said bosses at its endswith its comparatively sharpr periphery only.

rl`he operation is as follows: In assembling the device the stem isthreaded into the vent aperture in the radiator as is usual, with thebarrel directed upwardly. The sleeve with the expansion rod 15, thereinis then inserted in the barrel and threaded inwardly to nearly closeupon the expansion rod, but to aii'ord sufficient space dependent uponthe characterV of the metal used in said rod to permit said rod liftingwith pressure from within the radiator suiiiciently to permit the escapeof air from the radiator, but suiiiciently closed so that warm water orsteam will cause suflicient expansion for the rod to seat on both bossessimultaneously thus entirely closing the vent. Of course, the rate offlow from the vent may be regulated by the adjustment of the sleeveinwardly, the end thereof being provided with a slot to permit ofengagement by a screw driver and also by the adjustment of the screw 9,which, if adjusted to its inward limit, necessitates the entire ventingof the radiator through the passage 6. The adjustment outwardly of saidscrew, however, permit-s an increasingly greater vent through thepassage 7, so that with the adjustment shown in Fig. 2, the vent iseffected in part through both passages. As shown, the inner end of thestem is cut obliquely downwardly and outwardly. This tends topreventwater of condensation fiowing over the end of the stem to becarried into the passages by the iiow of air thereinto. Of course, it isevident that instead of the bosses shown in the sleeve and in thebottomof t-he barrel concentric with the vent passages, the construction maybe substantially reversed and for this purpose a concave or tapered seatmay be provided for the expansionrod 16, both in the barrel, as shown at17, and in the sleeve as shown at 18, andthe ends of the expansion rodmay be shaped in any suitable manner to. afford a comparatively sharpedge or periphery -to close therein.

The operation, of course, with either construction is the same. Ofcourse, the expansion rod may be a plain, cylindric rod, if desired,though preferably to afford the utmost freedom in venting said expansionrod is fluted longitudinally. This also serves an exceedingly importantpurpose, inasmuch as it enormously increases the surface of said rodexposed to the action of'heat and in consequence insures said rodheating through and through almost instantly to the temperature of thepassing fluid thus positively insuring the quick seating of the eX-pansion rod to entirely close the vent with t-he rise of temperature. Ineither construction upon the accumulation of water of condensation inthe valve said water returns through the passage into the passage in thestem and is adapted to flow through either passage in the stem back intothe radiator and under no circumstances can the water be forced by thepressure out of passage 12, in the plug as this passage is either closedby expansion ofthe stem 15 or 16 or else if the pressure is suiiicientto force the water out of said passage said pressure forces the stemagainst the upper seat and thereby prevents t-he water being dischargedinto the room.

Of course, details of the construction may be varied, and I have notattempted to show more than one simple embodiment of my invention. I amaware that the invention is capable of embodiment in many different wayswithout departing from the principles thereof, and may be useful formany different purposes other than for the purpose herein setforth. Itherefore do not purpose limiting this application for patent otherwisethan necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A thermally operated valve embracing a stem having a chamber at oneend and a plurality of passages extending from the opposite end of thestein to the chamber, means for varying the size of the chamber, abarrel integral with said stem and having an inlet aperture from one ofthe passages, an adjustable head or plug in the barrel having an outletaperture, a seat provided at the inner end of each aperture, anexpansion rod loosely supported between said seats to close bothapertures when expanded j iso a passage opening into one of the passagesin the stem, a plug or head in said barrel having a central dischargepassage openin` therefrom, seats surrounding each of said passages insaid barrel, an expansion rod loosely supported to close on either seatwhen cold and to close positively on both seats when warm and means forregulating the adjustment of said seats relative to each other.

3. A radiator valve embracing a stem having a chamber at one end and aplurality or' longitudinal passages opening from the chamber andextending through the stem, adjustable means in said chamber forregulating the size thereof, an integral barrel supported in uprightposition on said stem and having a central port opening thereinto fromone end of said longitudinal passages, a plug or head threaded into theouter end of the barrel to afford a iine adjustment, an outlet passageopening centrally therethrough, spherically convex, inwardly facingbosses one on the lower end of said plug and another in the bottom ofthe barrel, said outlet passage opening centrally through the boss onthe lower end of the plug, a thermal expansion rod having concave endsto seat on said bosses and a sleeve integral with said head and servingas a guide for the expansion rod.

4. An air valve for radiators embracing in combination with the ventvalve a stem therefor adapted to be threaded int-o the radiator, achamber in said stem, a plurality of passages leading to the chamberfrom the radiator and adjustable means for regulating the size of thechamber.

5. A vent valve embracing a stem having a chamber at one end andpassages extending through the stem and communicating with the chamber,a barrel integral with the stem and extending upwardly and portedcentrally to communicate with but one of said passages, a plug or headadjustably secured in the upper end of the barrel and having a centralvent passage therethrough, a valve seat surrounding each of saidpassages in the barrel, a shell or sleeve extending downwardly from theplug to near the bottom of the barrel, and an expansion rod in saidshell having its ends shaped to close on said seats and lutedlongitudinally to increase surface.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR OBRIEN.

Witnesses ALF C. KREMER, WILLIAM M. KIRKPATRICK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

